John 1:16-17 (Amplified) says, "For out of His fullness (abundance), we have all received, all had a share and were all supplied with, one Grace after another and Spiritual Blessing upon Spiritual Blessing and even favor upon favor and Gift heaped upon Gift. For while the Law was given through Moses, Grace (undeserved, unearned favor) and Spiritual Blessing and Truth, came through Jesus Christ."
God's Word makes it evident that He wants us to know His will and to understand His Plan for us and this age. Colossi ans 1:9 (Amplified) says, "For this reason we also, from the day we heard of it, have not ceased to pray and make special request for you, asking that you may be filled with the full, deep, and clear knowledge of His will in all Spiritual Wisdom, in comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God, and in understanding and discernment of Spiritual things."
It's all but impossible, for a believer to have faith in anything they don't know God's will on. The Church is divided whether it's God's will for healing, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit or speaking in tongues, making it difficult for believers to put their faith in these things. We've come to understand God's will about salvation and are unified in faith, about this portion of Truth. The enemy has kept God's Church divided in faith over other portions of Truth, through carnal thinking and teachings. The unity of faith brings forth Spiritual involvement and the Presence of God, that the enemy is helpless against, so the enemy has withstood the faith. Faith begins, where the will of God is known and understood.
The Father will not change His will to adjust to our doctrines, but will only bring forth His will, as we adjust to His Word. God won't change His will or Word, in order to accommodate our way of doing things, despite what our thoughts, ideas and doctrines might be. We apply more faith in what we can see and touch, instead of what we read and believe. We have a carnal acceptance of His Word, instead of the Spiritual Truth of His word. We should accept the Truth of His Word, simply because God spoke it, rather than having to see it, before believing.
Jesus told Thomas in John 20:27-29 (Amplified), "Reach out your finger here, and see My hands; and put your hand and place it in My side. Do not be faithless and incredulous, but stop your unbelief and believe. Thomas answered Him, My Lord and my God. Jesus said to him, Because you have seen Me, Thomas, do you now believe (trust, have faith)? Blessed (happy) and to be envied are those who have never seen Me and yet have believed and adhered to and trusted and relied on Me."
I don't know of very many Christians, who have "seen" Jesus, but we proclaim that "He lives and He is Lord." This is the kind of faith that God requires of us. If we dare to believe in Him, without seeing Him, then why is it so hard to believe what He says, without having to see it first? We don't need faith, in order to believe the things we can already see and touch; even the world can do that. This is the carnal or soulish kind of faith, that the world is accustomed to accepting and understanding. We are to simply believe what God says in His Word and accept it as Truth. Would the things written in God's Word be more true, if He stood before you and said them?
Faith isn't a formula, like some believe, but it's simply trusting in what the God Who created all things, has said to and for us. Paul received the Revelation he wrote in his letters, directly from Jesus Himself. No one else had seen or heard the Message, so does that make Paul's letters any less true than the Gospels, which were written by the disciples who walked bodily with Jesus? The real test of our faith is, do we believe God's Word is for us today?
Was God's Word just for another generation, or is it just as true for us, as it was for them? Many believe that we're an "enlightened generation" and that certain parts of God's Word are out of place in this generation. This is a lie that will destroy not only faith in God's Word, but faith in God as well. Our idea of love is the acceptance of all people, persuasions, and religions. God's idea of Love is God Himself, Who is Love. We're to love all people, but not necessarily accept all people and we're to determine who is or isn't accepted, by His Word. There are people who worship false gods. Do we accept them and their gods as fellow believers, or is there to be a distinction?
God-The Ark of the Covenant wouldn't share the same building as Dagon, the Philistine god in 1Samuel 5:1-5. He still refuses to share in false gods or sin. As Christians, we're not a blend of many gods or other gods, but of One True and Living God. Total acceptance isn't always Love. We're to treat others as the Lord treated them and not put them under condemnation, but they're not fellow brethren, who worship the same God. If we just have "a god," and not THE GOD, then where do we differ from the world? They have a god, but he can do nothing for them. Have we reduced our God into this same realm, by our unbelief? We say "I believe He can, but I'm not sure He will." Only God's Word can tell us.
Hebrews 13:8 (Amplified) says, "Jesus Christ (the Messiah), is always the same, yesterday, today, yes and forever to the ages." The things Jesus did during His earthly walk to His Resurrection, He still does today, tomorrow and forever. If Jesus performed miracles, healing and Blessing, then He still does so today and He does it by His Word, which is Himself. Simply believing it, just because He says it, are true Christian faith and trust. A centurion traveled to find Jesus, because his servant was sick in Matthew 8:8-10 (Amplified), which says, "But the centurion replied to Him, Lord, I am not worthy or fit to have you come under my roof; but only speak the Word, and my servant boy will be cured For I also am a man subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my slave, Do this, and he does it. When Jesus heard him, He marveled and said to those who followed Him, Who adhered steadfastly to Him (conforming to to His Example in living and, if need be, in dying also), I tell you truly, I have not found so much faith as this with anyone, even in Israel."
What was so outstanding in this man's faith? He simply believed in the Authority that Jesus had and the Authority in which Jesus walked under, namely His Father's Authority and command. He is still the same, so why do we stumble at His Word, instead of being like the centurion, who believed what Jesus said. We should go, when Jesus says "Go," and we should come, when He says "Come." We should believe His Words are all we need.
Jesus walked in delegated Authority and said, "I only do what My Father says to do." We must also walk in delegated Authority, believing what His Words in Luke 10:9 (Amplified), "Now you go in My Name, I give you power and authority to trample on serpents and scorpions and physical and mental strength and ability over all the power of the enemy that he possesses, and nothing shall in any way harm you."
Jesus told His followers (us included), in Mark 16:17-18 (Amplified), "And these attesting signs will accompany those who believe; in My Name they will drive out demons, they will speak in new languages, they will pick up serpents and even if they drink anything deadly it will not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they will get well." Jesus said to "Do these things in My Name." We are men and women under authority and that Authority is Jesus' and Jesus' is God's. This is what the centurion saw that so impressed him about Jesus...the Authority in His Words.
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